Livebox



Dec. 20, 1960 w. M. L. JOHNSON 2,955,259

LIVEBOX Filed Aug. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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Dec. 20, 1960 w. M. L. JOHNSON LIVEBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1957 nite This invention relates to a livebox construction, and more particularly to a collapsible wire mesh fish box of the floating type.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a sturdy and inexpensive livebox which requires but little effort to assemble and maintain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible livebox constructed simply of panel screens and having certain of the panels provided with overlapping end flanges for maintaining the parts in secure assembly and permitting easy knock-down to a relatively small volume when it is desired to transport or store the livebox.l

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel locking means for a livebox of the class described wherein the livebox will be maintained in its assembled condition against accidental opening and none of the parts of the box being separable therefrom so as to be easily lost or mislaid.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure l shows a perspective view of the livebox in completely assembled condition;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the box in disassembled and flat condition;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail in perspective of a segment of a flanged end edge as employed on some of the panels of my livebox structure;

Figure 4 shows a partially folded condition of the livebox indicating the direction of folding of the hinged interconnections between panels when it is desired to collapse the box into completely folded condition;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a fragment of the box structure showing the interconnection of the top panel and the front panel prior to operably positioning the swingable abutment and latching the cover in place; and

Figure 6 is another enlarged and detailed fragment of the top panel and front panel after the swingable abut ment has been positioned and the closure latch has been secured in proper manner.

With continued reference to the drawings, my completed assembled box is shown in Figure 1. The box is constructed substantially entirely from wire mesh material of a type which easily resists rusting and is strong enough to have natural stiffness to prevent the box from becoming distorted or bent during usage or storage.

The flattened assembly is shown in Figure 2 and this is the form which the box is in at time of manufacture and before being folded into either carrying or retaining position. The flat assembly of Figure 2 shows the wire mesh paneling and wall members as follows: The front panel is indicated generally at 1l?, the bottom panel at l1, the back panel at 12, and the top panel at 13. Each of these panels 1li-13 is provided with a pair of side edges 14 which lie in spaced parallel relationship and a pair of end edges 15 which also lie in spaced parallel relationship. Each of the panels is hingedly secured to the edge of another so that the panels provide a series of screen mesh panels. Each adjacent pair of the panels are hinged to States Pate-nt F swung forwardly.

2,965,259 Patented Dec. 2f), 19760 gether at respective side edges 14, the respective marginal edges 14 being secured loosely together as by rings 16. In a similar manner, the side marginal edges of the bottom panel 11 and the back panel 12 are also secured together as by ring members 16. Still further, the side marginal edges 14 of the back 12 and the top 13 are also secured together in the same loose manner by rings 16. At least some of the bottom, back and top members 11-13 are provided with flanged end edges 17, the flange portion 18 being formed at right angles to the plane of each of the panel members. Details of the bent flange are shown in Figure 3. It will be noted that all of the panels 10-13 have end edges or margins 15 or 17 which form substantially a straight line at each `side of the hingedly securedpanel members.

A pair of end walls 19-19 are rectilinear in shape and are provided with respective marginal edges 20, 21, 22 and 23. End walls 19 are secured at each end respectively of one of the panels lll-13, in the instant case as illus trated in Figure 2, the end walls 19 are secured to front panel 10. The end walls 19 are so shaped that the margi nal edges 20 are substantially the same length as the end edges 15 of the front panel 10. The end walls are hingedly secured to the front panel in the same manner previously described, and the loose rings 16 may also serve to provide simply a means for hinging the walls to the panel. The front panel 10 is provided with one or more positioning abutments 24 which may be a simple Wire loop welded to the screen panel and standing outwardly for a short distance at approximately right angles thereto as shown in Figure 5. The positioning abutments 24 are adapted to engage the outermost wire 25 which is formed on the flange 18 at the fore of the top 13 in assembled condition, as will be subsequently described. One or more pairs of similar positioning abutments may be secured in upstanding relation as at 26 on panel 12 in order to hold the end walls 19 against the end flanges of the panel members when the box is fully assembled.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the top panel 13 has a rectangular opening defined by the wire edges 27 and a flat screen closure 28 overlies the opening when the box is in closed condition. The closure 28 may be hingedly secured to one of the opening margins, in the instant case, the closure having bent wire extensions 29 formed around the marginal wire 27 which lies in close parallel relation with the hinged juncture between the back 12 and top 13. The forward edge 30 of the closure 28 is adapted to overlie marginally a portion of the top 13 just forward of its opening-defining edge 27. l

Hingedly mounted to the same forward edge 27 adja cent the free side of lthe top 13 is a locking means such as swingable abutment 31 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The swingable abutment may be formed of a single piece of wire generally U-shaped and having its ends 32 bent Iaround the wire 27. The closed portion of the U-shaped abutment 31 is bent approximately at right angles and adapted to swing downwardly in contact with the top 13 with the bent-over portion 33 extending downwardly through the top panel 13 and just rearwardly of the marginal flange 18 which is formed at the unsecured front edge of top panel 13.

The overlapping marginal edge 30 of closure 28 has secured thereto a latch 34 which may be formed of-a single piece of wire having a spring loop 35 and a pair of depending legs 36 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The depending legs 36 are bent around the edge wire 30V to form a slide loop 37 at each end. The very end portion of legs 36 beyond the loops 37 respectively extend outwardly at 38 to provide hook latches for securing the cover or closure 28 in proper position by being sprung under wire 27 when closure 28 is shut and member atis- The back and front panels 12 and 10. respectively, may have secured thereto loopedv Wire abutments 39 which extend inwardly towards those of the opposed panel and are adapted to provide a frictional retention mount for oat blocks 40-40 as shown in Figure 1. The oat blocks 40 may be constructed of foamed plastic material or other suitable buoyant material and may be formed in rectangular shape which is adaptedl to snugly and frictionally t underneath the top and in contact with the front, back and end walls when mounted yas shown in Figure 1. The abutmentsl 39 serve to hold the oat blocks 4,0 in place and, since the force against the blocks is in an upward direction during use, there is no necessity for locking the blocks against dropping downwardly.

Referring now; to Figure 4, my livebox is shown in partially folded condition which illustrates howV the panels and end walls can be overlapped to provide a compact structure. The end walls 19 are folded upwardly and inwardly over the front panel from the position shown in Figure 2, and then the front panel is lifted upwardly and over the back panel 12 so that the bottom panel will have swung together with the front and back panels in the intervening position shown in Figure 4. Top panel 13, together with its cover or closure 28, is then folded underneath the back to complete the folding operation. When assembling the livebox, the structure is unfolded to the lat condition shown in Figure 2, and the end walls 19 are raised to a ninety degree position with respect to the end edges 15of front panel 10. The front panel is then raised to a ninety degree position with respect to bottom 11 which will automatically put the end wall edges 21 just inside the ange margins 18 formed at the end edges 17 of bottom 11. The back and top 12 and 13 respectively are then raised so that the upstanding anges 18 at the end edges 17 of back 12 will also lie just outwardly of the end walls 19 and in overlapping relation with the edges 22 thereof. Abutments 26 will lie just inwardly of the end walls to prevent the walls from swinging to the interior of the box. The top panel 13 is then swung over the upper side of the box with its front ange 18 extending just over the front panel 10 and with the margins 18 at the end edges 17 of the top lying just outside the end panels 19. The outermost wire 25' of the flange 13 along the foremost edge of top. 13 is sprung over the forwardly extending abutments 24I which are securedV to the outer surface defined by the front panel 10. This holds the top 13 in proper position with respect to the front wall and, at the same time, locks all the other panels and end walls in proper position. However, to prevent the accidental bending and release of the top panel 13, I provide the locking means 31 as previouslydescribed. The bent-over portion 33 falls just inside the wire dening the uppermost edge 14 of front panel 10 and abuts thereagainst to hold panel 10 firmly against the inside of flange 18 and thereby prevent separation of the front panel 10 from the flange 18 of top 13 since the outermost wire 25 cannot now be sprung over abutments 24. Now, when the cover 28 is swung to closed position, the forward edge 30 overlies the swingable abutment 31 and prevents the upward swinging thereof to unlock the top and the front panels. Thus, whenever the cover 28 is held in closed condition, the entire box will be locked against disassembly.

The latch 34, in turn, maintains the cover 28 in its closed position with respect to the top panel 13 and doubly insures against accidental disassembly of the unit.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a simply c onstructed oating livebox requiring no independent hinge or locking members except such as may be formed of, or permanently attached to, the wire mesh construction itself. The structure further is characterized by secure edge reinforcement made of the panel material itself and simple abutment members securedto the wire mesh, the entire structure being capable off foldingA into compact form without requiring tools of any kind;

It will', of course, be understood thatl various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What l claim is:

1. A collapsible livebox comprising, a front panel, a bottom panel, a back panel and a top panel connected together in series, each adjacent pair of said panels being hinged together at respective edges thereof, the hinged edges each lying in spaced parallel relation to the others, each of the said panels having a pair of end edges in parallel spaced relation, the corresponding end edges of each of the panels lying in aligned relationship, an end wall hingedly secured to the end edge of one of said panels along one of the aligned edges and another end wall hingedly secured to the end edge of one of said panels at the other of said aligned edges, integral flange means formed along the endv edges of said front, bottom, back and top panels other than those to which an end wall is hingedly secured and adapted to marginally overlie the corresponding edges of each of said end walls, and means for holding the edges respectively of the front and top panels in juxtaposed relation whereby to interlock the end panels and prevent outward displacement from the assembled box.

2. A collapsible livebox comprising, a front panel, a bottom panel, a back panel and a top panel connected together in series, each adjacent pair of the said panels being hinged together at respective edges thereof, the hinged edges each lying in spaced parallel relation to the others, each of said panels having a pair of end edges in parallel vspaced relation, the corresponding end edges of each of the panels lying in aligned relationship, a pair of end walls hingedly secured respectively to the end edges of the front panel, a flange formed at each of the end edges of the bottom, back, and top panels and adapted to marginally overlie the corresponding edges of each of the end walls, and means for holding the edges respectively of. the front and top panels in juxtaposed relation whereby to interlock the end walls and prevent outward displacement from the assembled box.

3. In a foldable livebox having a front panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a top panel, and a pair of end walls hingedly secured at opposite ends of one of said panels, inwardly ilanged edge extensions on the ends of the other three of said panels, permanent hinge means interconnecting the said panels in series, one of the edges in each of the rst and last of said panels being unhinged but adapted to be juxtaposed during assembly, positioning abutments on one of said lirst and last panels adapted to interfit with the other of the first and last panels upon springing the latter over said abutments, and locking means engaging said other of the first and last panels and preventing the reverse springing thereof and displacement of the positioning abutments in the assembled livebox.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3, wherein the top panel is the first of said series and the front panel is the last.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein the locking means has a swingable abutment opposing said positioning abutments.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, wherein the top panel is provided with a hinged closure and a latch, said swingable abutment being retained against displacement by said hinged closure when in latched condition.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,184 Willard et al Mar. 17, 1908 915,565 Davison Mar. 16, 1909 2,456,419 Jackson et al Dec. 14, 1948 2,503,811 Emigholz et al Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,737" Canada May 12, 1953 

